I teach Latin. I love Latin. I started taking the language in the 7th grade at Lexington Middle School in Lexington, South Carolina. Over the years I drifted to other languages: Spanish, Greek, Hebrew, a little German, a little French, and a smattering of many, many others. But Latin has always been my favorite.
Why do people insist that the language is dead? I am not blind. I understand that it is not spoken much anymore. BUT, it is still relevant to today's students. Latin holds the key to the vocabulary and grammatical structures of the Romance languages such as Spanish, French, and Italian. Studies conducted by the Educational Testing Service have shown that Latin students consistently outperform all other students on the verbal portion of the SAT. I think this is because taking Latin makes you more aware of your own language. The literature and mythology of the Romans has been referenced repeatedly in many famous works over the years. To be able to read prose and poetry in Latin gives a student the ability to read classical authors in the original language and avoid the biases and misconceptions of other translators. It gives you a direct line to the wisdom of the classics. Who wouldn't appreciate that?
Why do people insist that the language is dead? I am not blind. I understand that it is not spoken much anymore. BUT, it is still relevant to today's students. Latin holds the key to the vocabulary and grammatical structures of the Romance languages such as Spanish, French, and Italian. Studies conducted by the Educational Testing Service have shown that Latin students consistently outperform all other students on the verbal portion of the SAT. I think this is because taking Latin makes you more aware of your own language. The literature and mythology of the Romans has been referenced repeatedly in many famous works over the years. To be able to read prose and poetry in Latin gives a student the ability to read classical authors in the original language and avoid the biases and misconceptions of other translators. It gives you a direct line to the wisdom of the classics. Who wouldn't appreciate that?
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